Yes, DIY Wedding and Event Decor is full of ideas for weddings but, remember, most of these ideas can also transfer to other events likes rehearsal dinners, cocktail parties, birthdays, showers, anniversary parties, fundraising gala, proms, school dances and the like.Centerpieces, themes, table layouts, buffets, decor ideas can apply to all kinds of events. Just because an idea is written with a wedding reception in mind, doesn't’ mean you can’t adapt it for your own event.Becoming inspired for your event, whatever it is, the one of the main goals here. You may not be able to use all the ideas included for your particular theme or scheme, but you might also be inspired by one of the ideas so you can build it and make it your own.Look through the category drop down box on the sidebar for the element or theme you are planning to use. Click through to the articles that deal with this/these and prepare to get lots of ideas. You’ll sift through them later and decide if they are something you can use, adapt or chuck.The point is, in the beginning you need a lot of information to stimulate and get your planning muscles working. The internet has made a world of difference in research. There are billions of pages out there and lots will deal with your main goal. Find them and use them! Your event will be better off for having done this.Word of Mouth Events & Planning

Whether your guests are competitive and want to see who can achieve the longest drive on our virtual golf simulator, or want to relax and shoot a game of pool, sports bars and game rooms are ideal for accomplishing both. Our vast inventory of immaculate games varies from old school favorites to virtual simulators. We have games to fit any theme and budget! Add games to your next hospitality suite or reception to take your event to the next level.

So, you've done it. Drafted your sponsorship packages. Looked them over for the millionth time. Edited. Revised. Made yourself dizzy with the words.

Now it’s perfect and ready for distribution to prospective sponsors.

This is a good feeling when planning any event, large or small. You are ready to go business to business and convince them to jump on board. You’re confident, because you’re vision is so clear. But can you paint the picture for others?

One thing you’ll definitely have to justify is pricing. You establish price point based on everything you know about the event. Overhead fees, profit margins, etc. Some companies may not agree with your price points. Some may actually argue that the pricing is too high or impractical. So, what do you do? Cut the price to accommodate each company individually? Go back to the drawing board with your package prices?

Neither.

As an event planner, you have to recognize that price is not the object. It’s all about the benefits. If a company is willing to pay $1,000, which seems more appealing: Package One which includes 15 ads, a vendor booth and a banner for $1,000? Or Package Two which include unlimited ads, a vendor booth and a banner for $1,500?

Most companies will go for Package Two. Although it is $500 more than they were willing to pay, they see the benefit in the unlimited ads.

Remember, when a company is questioning your sponsorship packages, vendor packages and ad rates, don’t assume you have to change around your pricing. It may come to that in the end. But you’re initial thought should be to figure out a way to enhance the benefits to provide more bang for the buck.Happy Planning.Brittany Malone, Word of Mouth Events & PlanningProfessional-In-Training (P.I.T.)http://wordofmouthevents.weebly.com/

Whether your guests are competitive and want to see who can achieve the longest drive on our virtual golf simulator, or want to relax and shoot a game of pool, sports bars and game rooms are ideal for accomplishing both. Our vast inventory of immaculate games varies from old school favorites to virtual simulators. We have games to fit any theme and budget! Add games to your next hospitality suite or reception to take your event to the next level.

Whether your guests are competitive and want to see who can achieve the longest drive on our virtual golf simulator, or want to relax and shoot a game of pool, sports bars and game rooms are ideal for accomplishing both. Our vast inventory of immaculate games varies from old school favorites to virtual simulators. We have games to fit any theme and budget! Add games to your next hospitality suite or reception to take your event to the next level.

Cut bottom of strawberry flat, scoop out center, add the following mixture and freeze for up to 4 hours. Take out, dip strawberries in the extra lemon lime mix and then sugar. Garnish with lemon or lime. Margarita's in the center is also good!

If virgin is your style - just 1 cup lemon lime mix boiling, add the Jell-O until dissolved. Chocolate ice cream in the middle and then when set, drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Shots all around!

Word of Mouth Events & Planning

Whether it’s a wedding, a 50th birthday party, a corporate retreat, or a live musical event, Word of Mouth Events & Planning can get it done. Working closely as a trusted source with the event and meeting designers and managers, we can create your vision and feel while maximizing guest enjoyment and make the experience memorable for all involved. It doesn't matter if it’s celebration of family or business: we are the right event and meeting management firm with the know how to pull everything together with ease and sophistication.

To prepare the speaker(s) for your event provide them with a meeting or event provide them with a meeting or event information sheet. You should have this prepared and finalized no less than three weeks prior to your meeting or event.

This document will give the speaker the statistical and registration data about their audience.

Your scoop sheet should contain:

Location of “green room” – Speakers preparation, rehearsal room

Transportation details – driving directions should be included

Copy of the meeting/event goals and objectives

Attendee stats – number of males/females, age range, location, job titles, number of sessions, and expected attendee totals

Official meeting or event program with meeting room assignment information – include floor plan

Handout procedures – confirm who will be responsible for duplication, the number to be produced and who will bring them

​Preparing a scoop sheet will give you a checklist to make sure that your main event, speaker, is clear and confirmed. As a routine you should develop the habit of placing am follow up call to confirm the packages was received and answer any questions they may have at that time.

Word of Mouth Events & PlanningMake your next event extraordinary by incorporating one or many of our specialty services. We work with you to create the perfect ambiance with decor and lighting. Capture the moment with photography or videography. We leave guests with a lasting impression of your event with personalize memorabilia.

Communication, of course, is a huge part of event planning. You have to be able to communicate with co-workers, vendors, sponsors, donors, clients, venues, etc. One thing that has to be accounted for…English is not everyone’s first language.Spanish is a good language to know, in any amount. Losing out on clients or a sponsorship due to a language barrier is not good for business. In fact, you could enhance the number of endorsements you receive by simply pitching ideas or even attempting to communicate in Spanish.Only good at writing the language? Consider translating some of your marketing tools into Spanish. Good at reading the language? Get local business magazines and newspapers written in Spanish.Perhaps you’re like me. I can read, write and carry a conversation in Spanish. I’m just not confident with it. But the more I shy away from it, the more of a barrier the language will hold.With any language, you have to use it to get better at it. So, if you here someone speaking another language you may be familiar with, try to start a conversation. Sure, you may sound silly, but it will pay off in the end.Si usted practica mucho, en el futuro usted va a hablar mejor.

Word of Mouth can create an environment to meet any event goal or objective. We offer entertainment to promote networking, reward and incentive programs, or just plain FUN!

Whether it’s a wedding, a 50th birthday party, a corporate retreat, or a live musical event, Word of Mouth Events & Planning can get it done. Working closely as a trusted source with the event and meeting designers and managers, we can create your vision and feel while maximizing guest enjoyment and make the experience memorable for all involved. It doesn't matter if it’s celebration of family or business: we are the right event and meeting management firm with the know how to pull everything together with ease and sophistication.

Whether it’s a wedding, a 50th birthday party, a corporate retreat, or a live musical event, Word of Mouth Events & Planning can get it done. Working closely as a trusted source with the event and meeting designers and managers, we can create your vision and feel while maximizing guest enjoyment and make the experience memorable for all involved. It doesn't matter if it’s celebration of family or business: we are the right event and meeting management firm with the know how to pull everything together with ease and sophistication.

~ Here's to elegance..

Whether your guests are competitive and want to see who can achieve the longest drive on our virtual golf simulator, or want to relax and shoot a game of pool, sports bars and game rooms are ideal for accomplishing both. Our vast inventory of immaculate games varies from old school favorites to virtual simulators. We have games to fit any theme and budget! Add games to your next hospitality suite or reception to take your event to the next level.

I am sure some events lend themselves to a duo or even a solo act. But sometimes, it is greatly appreciated to have a group of people working together to meet the same goal.I am the project lead with three team members and assistance from my boss. Working in a group of four may seem simple, but I assure you it is not an easy task. The tip for this week is how to keep yourself and your team organized and on the same page.Communication – This is a big deal. Whether it is sending 100 emails per day, making seemingly endless phone calls, creating chat rooms, or exhausting your text messages, communication is an essential element of a strong team.Take Good Notes – Anytime an idea, question, or suggestion comes to mind, write it down. You can never have too much information or too many notes. Then, at the end of the night, type everything out so you can keep it dated and recorded as neatly as possible.Err on the “too much” than “too little” – When communicating, include as much information as possible. If you felt it was important enough to write down, then include it when you relay information.Embrace suggestions – Always listen to what your team members have to say. Everyone has a different way of looking at things, and by finding an efficient way to combine all the angles, the end result can be amazing.Never forget your boss is there to help you – Your boss is experienced in the industry and has overcome a lot of obstacles. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or use their resources. And always pay attention when your boss is speaking. Note how they communicate with other professionals. View your boss as the perfect template for success.Remember, each day opens the door for a new learning experience. So soak it all in.Happy planning!

The beginning stages of planning an event are perhaps the most tedious. A lot of hours are put into researching, Google searching and asking your boss a lot of questions.My goal for the week was to tackle a venue. My thought process: finding a venue would lead to setting a date. However, finding in a venue in a place you just moved to is very difficult.I researched the venues I thought were appropriate. I tried to get as much information as possible from the websites, so when I called I wasn't wasting time asking questions that were answered through the venue’s website.It was a wonderful idea; however, after posting ads on Craigslist for models, runway coaches and designers, I got caught up in the other potential elements of the event I could gain from Craigslist. (photographers/videographers, caterers, etc.)So, researching my venues was put on a brief hiatus; however, it is back to the top of the priority list.The first day jitters are finally gone, and I feel my first week has been successful. Especially since I've never planned an event of this caliber, and I just moved from out-of-state.This week I learned anything can be done with a little guidance.

Whether your guests are competitive and want to see who can achieve the longest drive on our virtual golf simulator, or want to relax and shoot a game of pool, sports bars and game rooms are ideal for accomplishing both. Our vast inventory of immaculate games varies from old school favorites to virtual simulators. We have games to fit any theme and budget! Add games to your next hospitality suite or reception to take your event to the next level.

“Cost-savings is a mindset,” said Rick Kauffman, business development manager, ITA Group, a West Des Moines, Iowa-based employee engagement company. Speaking at the 8th Annual Pharma Forum in Orlando this spring, Kauffman said cost savings can be achieved through a combination of reducing expenses, avoiding costs, and good negotiating. Here are some of the cost-savings tips from all facets and phases of a meeting Kauffman and co-presenter Dorie Deebold, managing director, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Philadelphia, offered.Planning1. Choose your locations wisely. Look for hot dates, off-season rates, and lower-tier destinations.2. Be flexible with travel patterns.3. Use electronic communications instead of print.4. Prioritize your concessions and negotiate what’s most important to your group.5. Take advantage of volume buying with vendors, such as booking multiple meetings with a property at the same time.6. Generate a cost-savings/cost-containment report for each meeting to show how much money was saved.7. Use preferred vendors for volume discounts.8. Consider airports hotels, which tend to have lower rates and fewer transportation costs.Hotels/guest rooms9. Negotiate complimentary guest rooms based on pickup, such as one per every 40 rooms.10. Have resort fees and Internet fees reduced or waived, at least for VIP or staff rooms.(Try for the full block if possible.)11. Disallow early departure fees on rooms.12. Make sure rooms booked after cutoff date are at the contracted rate.13. Negotiate rooms booked pre- and post-convention at contracted group rate.14. If you have to cancel the meeting, put the cancellation funds toward a future meeting at the property.15. Have attrition based on hotel occupancy, so each night the hotel reaches 95 percent occupancy, you pay no attrition.16. Get complimentary access to health club or lounge for VIPs.Meeting rooms and F&B17. If adequate meeting room space is not available and suites are used as breakout rooms, have suite charges waived or reduced.18. Have standard setup fees and meeting space rental fees waived.19. Reuse signage from meeting to meeting.20. Negotiate complimentary beverages for on-site staff office.21. Ask the CVB if they will host any events or offer entertainment options at no cost.22. Book restaurant reservations using a group credit card to avoid DMC fee.23. Negotiate a sliding scale for F&B at a hotel.Audiovisual24. Negotiate discounts with the hotel’s in-house AV provider as part of your preferred-vendor agreements.25. Ask to have service charges waived for using an outside AV provider.26. Have service charges waived on local calls.27. Require free high-speed Internet access in staff office and meeting rooms.Have free phone lines installed in meeting office.28. Get discount on photocopier and printer rentals for the on-site office.29. Ask for complimentary power strips and extension cords in staff office.30. Ask for free podiums, microphones, and easels.31. Try to piggyback on staging and rigging for events before and/or after your meeting.Décor and entertainment32. Require free use of hotel linens and buffet décor.33. Reuse table florals at meals.34. Reuse table draping and other decorating materials.35. Reduce travel expenses by using local entertainment and speakers.36. Look for creative hotel function space and décor, such as the rooftop, the loading dock area, and the kitchen, and use existing props.37. Get reduced power and electrical fees for entertainment and for outdoor function lighting.38. Have trucking fees waived or get discounted delivery fees.39. Make sure the stage for entertainment is complimentary.Activities and transportation40. Book flights as early as possible—the savings can be significant.41. Seek discounts on golf tee times, bottled waters, and towels on carts.42. Ask for discounts for spa treatments.43. Inquire about complimentary VIP and staff airport transfers.44. Avoid individual airport transfers when possible; book in groups.45. Ask CVB for discount or free tickets to shows, entertainment, or other services.46. Ask hoteliers for complimentary VIP transfers (also ask if they have a house car you can use).47. Seek reduced pricing on destination management company activities.48. Keep activities on site to minimize transportation costs.49. Use DMC to staff hospitality desk instead of in-house staff.50. Check all invoices carefully for billing errors.